Then there was you
by lit1586
Summary: The story starts the day after Rory is back from Washington. She is upset after seeing Jess with that girl.Rory never told Lorelai about the kiss or her feelings for Jess Completed
1. Chapter 1: The fight

There's no me without you  
  
The story starts the day after Rory is back from Washington. She is upset after seeing Jess with that girl.(*Rory never told Lorelai about the kiss or her feelings for Jess) Lorelai and Luke have no idea what happened. All they know is that Jess and Rory are angry and they are determined to make them get along.   
  
bChapter 1: The fight/b  
  
"Mom!" Rory called as she enter the front door of her small two bedroom home. "Anybody home," she took off her jacket and hung it on the coat hook by the door then grabbed her bag and headed down the hall to her room. Carefully opening her book bag she pulled out her books. It was her first day back a school and she couldn't get over seeing Jess and the girl kiss the day before. She shook her head and opened her book trying to get home out of her mind, she had decide to stay with Dean yesterday, but why couldn't she get Jess out of her thoughts. She was interrupted by the sound of front door.  
  
"Rory!" Lorelai called hauling a huge basket of fruit into the kitchen  
  
"Hey stranger." Rory joked as she enter the kitchen and grabbed and apple from the basket the Lorelai had placed on the counter. She grabbed another apple and threw it to Lorelai, who in return threw it back. "Too healthy?" Rory joked. "Where'd you get the basket from?"  
  
Sookie. It your welcome home present."  
  
Taking one last bite of the apple, she threw it in the trash. "Nothing says welcome home like a basket of fruit."  
  
"You said it." Lorelai laughed and planted herself in a kitchen chair.  
  
"So.. it was weird being back.  
  
"I'll bet Hey idea"  
  
Rory pulled open the snack cabinet and took out a bag of chips ahoy cookies.  
  
"That's my girl. The Gilmore girls don't eat healthy food!" Lorelai was so happy to have Rory home. It was lonely without her.  
  
"What's your idea?"   
  
"Well, i was thinking ... now go with me here cause this is different. We should go to Luke's and get coffee."   
  
"Ouuu."  
  
"Ouu what's the ouu why the ouuu?"  
  
"Nothing. It just ... aren't you and Luke fighting?"  
  
"Yes, but I'm having a coffee with draw! I'm gone cold turkey for 5 months."  
  
"Mom it's only been a few weeks."  
  
"It seems longer." She slammed her head on the kitchen table. "Come on. You can be my excuse!"  
  
"Ah ha!" Rory held up her finger. "So now the true reason for you wanting me home so bad comes out! You're using me for the coffee."   
  
"Hey addiction can make you do crazy things." she joked.  
  
"So can love." Rory whispered softly to herself and then made a decision that she knew she would regret. "Fine let go."  
  
"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I knew i loved you."  
  
"Yes I was born so you could drink coffee." She grabbed Lorelai purse from the counter and handed it to her. "Don't they make a patch for this?"  
  
"Nope I already checked."   
  
As the girls approached the diner they could see Luke scrubbing the counters. There was hardly anyone in there, but that wasn't anything new at this time of day.  
  
"Nervous?" Lorelai asked.  
  
* Does she know about me and jess's kiss? NO of course she doesn't. How would she find out? * she began to get nervous "Nervous? No. Should I be?"   
  
"No."  
  
"Then why did I ask if I was nervous?" she wonder out load.  
  
"I don't know. I'm nervous."  
  
"I though you said there's nothing to be nervous about."   
  
"No I said you shouldn't be nervous. I should." Lorelai corrected.  
  
"I see." Rory laughed and handed her mother a tic tac.  
  
"What? I need it?"  
  
"No. I was just offering." She popped the unwanted tic tac in her mouth. "Go in already."  
Lorelai reached reluctantly for the handle. "Just remember you're doing it for the coffee." With that she pulled the door open and stepped in. She looked around uncomfortable for a minute, it had been a long time since either of them had set foot in Luke's. After a few seconds Rory took the control and pushed her mother towards the counter, where they each took a stool.  
  
"Hey Luke. Long time no see." Rory smiled as Luke looked up from his counter washing job.  
  
"Well I haven't seen you a while. How was Washington?"  
  
"Fine." she replied politely. "I really missed being home with Mom though. Right mom?"  
  
"What? Oh yeah." she answered. "It's been a while Luke."  
  
"Yep. Coffee?"  
  
"Yep. Make it two."   
  
"It'll kill ya."  
  
"I'll die a happy women." Luke held back a smile and went to get her coffee.  
  
"See that wasn't so hard." Rory nudged her.  
  
"I brought 3 coffees. Two for you and one for Rory." Luke told them.  
  
"Thanks." Both girls smiled.  
  
"Oh my God. Do you know what this is?" Lorelai beamed.  
  
"Coffee."  
  
"Heaven." She correct take a huge sip of coffee. "God that's good!! I've missed you." she told the coffee before taking another sip.  
  
"I'm surprised she made it this long." Luke told Rory, as they watch Lorelai drift into her own little world. Rory's eyes peered out the window, searched to diner and stopped on the doorway leading to Luke's apartment. "Jess isn't here! He went out with his girlfriends Shane."  
  
"Girlfriend?" Rory questioned trying to hide her frown with a fake smiled.  
  
"Yeah He should be back soon if you wanna see him."  
  
"I don't want to see him!" she answered in a snappy voice. "I don't care what's doing."  
  
"Okk!" Luke didn't know what to say.  
  
"Sweetie what's wrong? A few weeks ago Jess was one of your best friends and now you don't care." Lorelai said forgetting her love affair with the coffee cup for a minute. "Did i miss something? Aren't you the same Rory who defended him after breaking....."  
  
"Fracturing." Luke corrected  
  
"Fracturing your wrist."  
  
"Hair line fracture" He corrected again and Lorelai gave him a look  
  
"The some Rory who skipped school and missed my graduation to visit Jess in New York..... ohhh." Lorelai stopped.   
  
"What?"  
  
"Nothing." she smiled. "I just got a craving for some more coffee." she lied.  
  
"Well speak of the devil." Luke spoke point to Jess who was standing outside making out with Shane yet again.  
  
Rory turned, rolled her eyes and then turned back around to face Luke again. "Sickening isn't it?" she scoffed.  
  
"You said it not me." he swiped the cloth over the counter one more time and walked away, as Jess entered the diner.  
  
"Aren't you going to invite you little friend in?" Rory growled, her back facing Jess.  
  
"No she had to go to work."  
  
"I didn't know we had a stripe club in Stars Hallow. Or does she have to make the long trip all the way to Hartford every day." she shot back.  
  
"For your information she works at the gas station."  
  
"Oh much better. Are you sure about the club thing i mean you do see her on the week ends don't you?"  
  
"Ha. Ha. ha." he pulled his jacket off. "I'm going up stairs."  
  
"Before you go.. do you have change for a 20 or did you use all your ones on her?"  
  
"What is your problem!" Jess yelled.  
  
"Oh i think that you know exactly what my problem is."   
  
"Hey I'm not gonna stand here and take this. I can't deal with this, i think I'll act like you! I'll RUN AWAY! Take the easy way out." he retorted. He could feel Rory's death stare burn through him.   
  
"So how long have you and Shane been going out 2, 3 hours. I'm sure she's not the kind of girl to kiss like that the first hour of the relationship, maybe the 2nd or 3rd right."  
  
"Hey at least she's not the kinda girl who kiss like that when she not even going out with the guy!"  
  
"That is not fair Jess!" she stood from her stool in a fit of anger.   
  
"I'm going up stairs." he announced.  
  
"Don't walk away when we're fighting." she yelled.  
  
He stopped just before climbing the first step. "Rory..." he turned his head to look into her eyes. "How's Dean?" was all he said before continuing up the stairs.  
  
"Urghhh!" she screamed in frustration and stormed up the stairs, leaving Lorelai and Luke, who were quite amazed by the argument.  
  
"More Coffee?" Luke questioned holding the pot up to Lorelai, who held her cup out  
  
*UPSTAIRS*  
  
Jess sat silently, his head phones over is ears, music blasting and book in hand. Rory flung the door open and stepped inside. "What is your problem?" she yelled.  
  
Jess looked up from his book then back down. "Sorry can't hear you." he pointed to his head phones. Rory rushed over and ripped them off his head. "Hey give those back."  
  
"No!" she dropped them on the coffee table. Jess grabbed the cord and pulled them back towards himself. "Will you stop!" she yelled up plugging the head phone this times and throwing them across the room. "We need to talk!"  
  
"I think we've done enough of that for tonight." he stood and shoved his book onto a shelf.  
  
"No we haven't!"  
  
"Yes we have!"  
  
"NO" she yelled and pushed him down on the couch. "Sit."  
  
"NO!" he shot straight up.  
  
"God! Why are you being like this?" she asked.  
  
"Me?? You're the one who gave me attitude as soon as i walked in the door."  
  
"Well I'm sorry if i seem a little upset, but i think i have a right to when i come home and find kiss that.... that..."  
  
"Shane."   
  
"Whatever." she growled. "How do you think that made me feel?"  
  
"Oh about as great as i felt when you kissed me and then left for Washington without say so much as good bye!"  
  
"Jess.. i was confused. I'm sorry." She yelled.  
  
"What about when i get to watch you and Dean share one of those cute little pecks. You know, those just reak passion, how could you stand it." he ask sarcaticaly.  
  
"This is all wrong. I didn't want it to be this way." trying to hold her tears from stream down her face.  
  
"Don't cry!" he ordered knowing he wouldn't be able to take it if he made her cry.  
  
"I'm not.. i'm not cry." she struggled. She couldn't hold it in anymore and burst into tears. Her legs gave out and she began to collapse, falling into Jess's waiting arms.   
  
"shh." he whispered as he kneed to the floor, her trembling body weighing against him. "Rory.. I'm.."  
  
"Stop. Ok Just stop pretending that you care." she screamed through her tears. "Just stop." she whispered once more, before pulled herself up and running out the door. She flew down the stairs with Jess on her tail. She ran right past her mother and Luke, tears staining her face. She threw open the door and ran faster then she ever had in her life. Jess was just seconds behind as he too made his way down the stairs and to the diner door. "Rory!!" he called, but she was long gone. "Damn it!" he slammed the door back and allowed it to fly shut, before walking back up stairs.  
  
"I should go." Lorelai sighed not knowing what to say.  
  
"Coffee to go." Luke offered knowing she would need it in what seemed like would be a stressful situation. 


	2. Chapter 2: Broken ovens, Broken Hearts

Chapter 2: Broken ovens, Broken hearts  
  
Rory's tears began to lessen as she laid face first on her bed. She held one of her stuffed animals tightly and gripped the pillow with her free hand. A deep breath escaped her. "Rory!" Lorelai call as she entered the front door. Rory quicky sat up, dried her eyes and grabbed a book. "Sweet can i come in?" her mother questioned with a knock.  
  
"Yeah!" she replied as Lorelai open the door. Rory plastered on a fake smiled. "Just doing some read before bed."  
  
"Cut the crap." her mom stated bluntly. "What's going on Ror?"  
  
"Nothing. What are you...." she stopped after recieving the death glare. "God Mom It's all wrong. Nothings the way it was supposed to be."  
  
"You like Jess don't you?" She paused. "Well, i didn't get it at first, but some where is you middle of you making fun of Jess and the fight I realized it was all because you are jealous of Shane."   
  
"I am not."  
  
"Because you like Jess."  
  
"Do not."  
  
"Then what was the scene at the diner all about?"  
  
"Fine maybe I like him." she admited.  
  
"Does he know?"   
  
"I don't know mom. I screwed everything up." Rory began crying again. "I was so scared of what you would say, of what Dean would do, of how Jess would react. I mean, I've never cheated on anyone before. I never had anyone to cheat on with."  
  
"Wait back up? Who said anything about cheating?"  
  
"I did. I cheated."  
  
"On Dean?"  
  
"Yes. I kissed him."  
  
"Dean?"  
  
"NO!  
  
"You kissed Jess?"  
  
"YES!" Rory banged her head on the wall gently.  
  
"When did this happen." Lorelai wondered feeling kind of hurt the Rory hadn't told her. They ususally tell eachother everything.  
  
"When i found out the he wasn't going to stay in New York, I was so excited. But a hand shake and a 'Welcome home' just wasn't good enough for me. no! and i just went ahead and kissed him." She yelled in a sarcatic tone. "i mean whats wroing with me? What kind of person does that? Dean is such a great guy. I don't want to hurt him."  
  
"Sweetie you're just going to hurt him even more if you stay with him." Lorelai told her brushing her hair back. "I know it hurts, believe me i've been there. I know what it's like to lose someone you love, but Dean will be fine... eventually. It's just more cruel to lead him on."  
  
"But Jess is with Shane now."  
  
"Rory do you want to be with Dean?"   
  
"I don't know." she sighed.  
  
"Well, you NEED to figure it out! Jess or no Jess." Lorelai almost yelled. "I'm sorry to be so mean, but you have to think kid. You don't have to decide anything right away, just take your time and sort everything out."  
  
"Thanks mom." Rory hugged her.   
  
"Get some rest." she smiled and left.  
  
//Next Day//  
  
"Dean. It's me Rory" she spoke over the phone.  
  
"Hey whats up?" Rory could tell he was smiling by the tone of his voice.  
  
"I was wondering if you want to hang out. Go for a walk in town or something." she asked. After last night Rory decided that the only way she would figure out if you still wanted to be with Dean or not would be to spend an after noon with him and see how it felt, how she felt being with him. "OK great I'll met you at gazibo."  
  
//Center of Town//  
  
"Hey! I missed you." Dean beamed as he leaned down to kiss Rory.  
  
"I missed you too." *That's not a lie, i didn miss him... kind of.* she told herself. "So I'm hungry wanna go grab some food? Coffee perhaps?"  
  
"Yeah sure. Let's go to Luke's."  
  
"Luke's but you hate going there." Rory was confused, he usually never wanted go anywhere near Jess. *Jess I can't even stop think of him for one minute. Everything reminds me of him. Even this stupid gazibo she sighed remember that they did the basket rafle right near it.*  
  
"Yeah well, It's your favorite so i can make a sacricfic." Dean told her and kissed her cheek.  
  
"Well, thank you." she smiled. In truth Rory would rather die then go in there after last night, but she didn't want to bring up Jess. If she refused to go Dean would know something was wrong. "Let go." He was so sweet how could she even think about breaking his heart. She sighed quietly and scold herself for not feeling the same way she used to about Dean.  
  
They entered the diner and Rory shifted her eyes to the ground, not looking at Luke. She knew that he was staring at her and she was sure that Jess had told him what was going on. "What would you like." Luke asked approaching the table.  
  
"I'll have an order of pancakes and orange juice." Dean read off his order.  
  
Luke clears his throat and look down at Rory who still hadn't looked up. "Rory?"  
  
"Coffee please." she told him pretended to be reading the menu that she had read a million time before.  
  
"Don't you have that thing memorized by now." Luke questioned.  
  
"What?" she looked up. "OH umm... yeah." she sighed and closed the menu, giving Luke a weak smiled before he walked away.  
  
"Are you ok. You seem... weird." Dean's voice was filled with concern.  
  
"Yeah i'm fine. Just a little tired. I was reading till 12:00 last night." she lied.  
  
"I don't know how you could read that long." he laughed. There was a long uncomfortable silence. They had absolutly nothing to talk about.   
  
"Oh thank god." Rory whispered to herself as Luke approached with their food.  
  
"Pancakes, orange juice." He slide the plate on the table. "Coffee." he placed the cup infront of Rory." Luke could tell that Rory was upset and she was doing a horrible job of hiding it. At that moment, Jess walked solumly down the stairs. He stopped in his tracks at the bottom of the stairs and locked eyes with Rory, then looked over at Dean shoke his head and went into the kitchen.  
  
"Well, he's his usual happy self today." Dean scoffed and took a sip of his orange juice.  
  
"Yeah." She sighed into her coffee cup. "So how was your summer." she asked trying to change the subject.  
  
"It was OK. Pretty boring without you though." he smiled and reached over to grab her hand.  
  
Jess stood at the counter staring, making faces and rolling his eyes. "Pretty boring without you." he mumble under is breath wiping the counter down.  
  
"Hey jealous much." Luke whispered with a nugded.  
  
"I am not jealous. Why would i be jealous of bag boy." he told him sternly.  
  
"Because Bag boy... has Rory." he stated honestly.  
  
"Whatever." Jess stopped scrubbing for a minute and looked at Rory. She was sitting with her hand rested lightly on her chin, looking as bored as can be. She stared blankly out the window, as Dean rambled on about is summer. "Look how interesting she finds him." Jess joke to Luke. "She wants to hear about books and writers, not his boring summer vacation." he continued. "He's not right for her."  
  
"And who is?" Luke asked before walking away. Jess looked over at Rory once more, this time she was looking at him. They both quickly turned their heads away quickly.  
  
"Jess!!" a bubble voice called from the doorway.  
  
"Shane what are you doing here?" he wonder out load.  
  
She winked and made her way to the counter. "Wanna go for a walk. I'm bored."  
  
"I don't know I haven to...." he stopped and looked over at Rory who was giving him the death stare. "Actually, that's a great idea lets go." Shane smiled in satisfaction, as Jess grabbed his jacket and walked around the counter. He glanced at Rory to make sure she was watching, then pulled Shane into a kiss. "Let's go."  
  
Rory's heart broke at the sight of Jess kissing another girl. "I think I should get home now." she excused herself. "I'll see you late Dean." she leaned down and kissed his cheek softly. Then put on a fake smile and walked out the front door to find Jess and Shane getting ready for their walk. She bumped against Jess as hard as she could and continued to walk down the street toward home.  
  
//Later that night//  
  
"Luke is coming over to fix this stupid oven for me." Lorelai informed Rory as she slamed the over door closed.  
  
"Mom you don't cook." Rory stated flattly as she looked up from her book.  
  
"I might want to cook in the future."  
  
"Might." she agreed and Lorelai smiled. Luke wasn't coming just to fix the stove, they figured that if they got Rory and Jess in the same room for a while they could work somethings out. It was Luke's job to get Jess to actually come.  
  
//Luke's diner//  
  
"Jess you're coming with me to Lorelai's house." Luke told him as he entered the apartment after his walk with Shane.  
  
"No i'm not."  
  
"Yes you are. I have to fix her oven and i need your help."  
  
"I said i'm NOT going." Jess restated sternly.  
  
"Why because of Rory. Come on. Be a man." Luke tried to pressure him.  
  
"That's not gonna work."  
  
"Damn." he cursed. "I'll give you 30 bucks. 30. and all you have to do is stand there."  
  
"Fine." he sighed. "I'll go."  
  
//Gilmore House//  
  
"That's them... I mean Luke" Lorelai announced cheerfully.  
  
"Them? Mom you didn't.." Rory called as her mom went to get the door. Rory stood and tried to gather all her things. Once she got everything she walked towards her room, dropping a book. She bent slowly to pick it up trying not to drop eveything else, but someone beat her to it. Rory looked up to find Jess looking down at her. He held out the book.   
  
"Here." he offered then pulled it back as she went to grab it.  
  
"Give me that." she growled and ripped the book from his hands, then continued towards her room.  
  
"Don't be so nice." he told her sarcasticaly.  
  
"I'll try." she shot back over her shoulder and slammed her bedroom door.  
  
"Jess why don't you go talk to her?" Luke asked pushing Jess towards her door.  
  
"Do I have to?" he wined.  
  
"YES!" both Lorelai and Luke yelled.  
  
"Rory we need to talk." Jess barged into her room.   
  
"Go away." she replied, her nose in a book.  
  
"No talk to me." he repeated pulling the book out of her hands.  
  
"Hey."  
  
"Now you know how i felt last night when you took my head phones."  
  
"Don't compare me to you." she growled.  
  
"Look i don't want to talk to you either!" Jess yelled.  
  
"Fine then don't!" Rory screamed back. "Go find your girlfriend and make out some more."  
  
"Stop being so dramactic! You're acting like a b..."  
  
"A what Jess just say it."  
  
"a Bitch ok. Are you happy?" he told her looking down at his feet. "Rory i didn't mean that...."  
  
"Yes you did. Get out! Get out of my room. Get out of my house. Just get out!" she stated softly.   
  
"Rory." he could tell she was about to cry again.  
  
"Please." she sounded defeated.  
  
"I'll see you around." he sighed before leaving.  
  
Chapter 3: 3's a crowd... so is 2  
  
For once Rory was actually glad to be going to school on a Monday morning. It had been almost a week since she talked to Jess and Dean was beginning to smuther her. He called her every hour on the hour and when she didn't answer he left at least 5 messages. She sat in her chemistry class listening to Paris go on and on about lab safty. A knock came at the door and a women that Rory recognized from the guidence office came in. "Mr. Dillon. We have a new student for your class." The women entered followed by a tall boy with blonde hair.  
  
"Oh my god. This isn't happening." Rory slamed her head on her lab table as the boy walked over and hand the teacher a slip of paper.  
  
"Tristan is it? There an empty seat for you at the lab table behind Miss. Gilmore." he pointed her out and she lifted her head slowly, as Tristan made his way to his seat.  
  
"Miss me Mary?" he questioned as he passed her.  
  
***********************************************************  
The final bell rang and Rory got out of class as fast as she could. She had been avoiding Tristan all day, which didn't work very well considering he was in almost all her classes. "So." a voice came from behind her as she was grabbing her books from her locker. "Rory Gilmore. My how you've changed."  
  
"Oh my god. You used my real name! Am i hearing things?"  
  
"So how's that boyfriend of yours. Don was it?" he asked.  
  
"Dean she corrected." slaming her locker.  
  
"How is he?"  
  
"None of your business." she snapped as she began to walk away.  
  
"What's wrong? Having some trouble with Don?"  
  
"Dean!" she corrected again as she exited the school. "You know usually when people walk away from you it mean they don't want to talk."  
  
"Really?" Tristan questioned pretending to be surprised  
  
"Rory!" a voice called from the parking lot and she glance around looking for the source.  
  
"Who's that?" Tristan asked as Rory's eyes landed on Jess.  
  
"Oh great." she sighed. "What do you want Jess?"  
  
"Just let me talk to you OK?" he pleaded.  
  
Rory looked over a Tristan, the only way to get rid of him would be to go with Jess and she would much rather be with Jess.  
  
"Where you going Mary?" Tristan asked as she walked toward Jess. "Don't i get a good bye?"  
  
"Bye."   
  
"I'll see you tomarrow." he grinned with a wink and she rolled her eyes.  
  
"Who's that?" Jess questioned.  
  
"Satin." she replied climbing into Luke's pick up truck.  
  
"Like him that much huh?" They turned out he the school and onto the road  
  
"Bout as much as i like you."   
  
There was a long silence. Rory stared out the window at the passing cars fo 20 minutes before Jess said anything."Rory I came to say i'm sorry."  
  
"Jess."  
  
"Dont' talk just let me get this out before i chicken out."  
  
"YOU chicken out?"  
  
"It's been known to happen."  
  
"Fine talk."  
  
"OK I'm sorry Rory. I'm sorry that i went out with Shane and that i tried make you jealous. I'm sorry that i didn't wait for you. I'm sorry i didn't get to say good bye to you before Washington. I'm sorry i was so mean and that i called you .... you know. I was soo mad, but i though about everything today and i just want you to be happy. So if you want to be with Dean then be with Dean, but I just want you to know that i REALLY like you." Rory looked down at her lap. "and if you ever decided that you like me... I broke you with Shane." She look up at him in surprise.  
  
"For m...e" she asked and Jess nodded.   
  
"I'll see you later maybe." he sighed as they stopped at her house and he looked away from her.  
  
"Jess." he turned to face her and was greeted by her lips. It was a short kiss, but it was just as good, if not better, then the one at Sookie's wedding. "Thank you. I just need a day or two to think and set things strait.  
  
"What the hell is going on here!?"  
  
"Dean!" Rory practically screamed. 


	3. Chapter 3:3's a crowd so is 2

Chapter 3: 3's a crowd... so is 2  
  
For once Rory was actually glad to be going to school on a Monday morning. It had been almost a week since she talked to Jess and Dean was beginning to smother her. He called her every hour on the hour and when she didn't answer he left at least 5 messages. She sat in her chemistry class listening to Paris go on and on about lab safety. A knock came at the door and a women that Rory recognized from the guidance office came in. "Mr. Dillon. We have a new student for your class." The women entered followed by a tall boy with blonde hair.  
  
"Oh my god. This isn't happening." Rory slammed her head on her lab table as the boy walked over and hand the teacher a slip of paper.  
  
"Tristan is it? There an empty seat for you at the lab table behind Miss. Gilmore." he pointed her out and she lifted her head slowly, as Tristan made his way to his seat.  
  
"Miss me Mary?" he questioned as he passed her.  
  
***********************************************************  
The final bell rang and Rory got out of class as fast as she could. She had been avoiding Tristan all day, which didn't work very well considering he was in almost all her classes. "So." a voice came from behind her as she was grabbing her books from her locker. "Rory Gilmore. My how you've changed."  
  
"Oh my god. You used my real name! Am i hearing things?"  
  
"So how's that boyfriend of yours. Don was it?" he asked.  
  
"Dean she corrected." slamming her locker.  
  
"How is he?"  
  
"None of your business." she snapped as she began to walk away.  
  
"What's wrong? Having some trouble with Don?"  
  
"Dean!" she corrected again as she exited the school. "You know usually when people walk away from you it mean they don't want to talk."  
  
"Really?" Tristan questioned pretending to be surprised  
  
"Rory!" a voice called from the parking lot and she glance around looking for the source.  
  
"Who's that?" Tristan asked as Rory's eyes landed on Jess.  
  
"Oh great." she sighed. "What do you want Jess?"  
  
"Just let me talk to you OK?" he pleaded.  
  
Rory looked over a Tristan, the only way to get rid of him would be to go with Jess and she would much rather be with Jess.  
  
"Where you going Mary?" Tristan asked as she walked toward Jess. "Don't I get a good bye?"  
  
"Bye."   
  
"I'll see you tomorrow." he grinned with a wink and she rolled her eyes.  
  
"Who's that?" Jess questioned.  
  
"Satin." she replied climbing into Luke's pick up truck.  
  
"Like him that much huh?" They turned out he the school and onto the road  
  
"Bout as much as i like you."   
  
There was a long silence. Rory stared out the window at the passing cars fo 20 minutes before Jess said anything." Rory I came to say i'm sorry."  
  
"Jess."  
  
"Don't' talk just let me get this out before I chicken out."  
  
"YOU chicken out?"  
  
"It's been known to happen."  
  
"Fine talk."  
  
"OK I'm sorry Rory. I'm sorry that I went out with Shane and that I tried make you jealous. I'm sorry that I didn't wait for you. I'm sorry I didn't get to say good bye to you before Washington. I'm sorry I was so mean and that I called you .... you know. I was so mad, but I though about everything today and I just want you to be happy. So if you want to be with Dean then be with Dean, but I just want you to know that I REALLY like you." Rory looked down at her lap. "and if you ever decided that you like me... I broke you with Shane." She look up at him in surprise.  
  
"For m...e" she asked and Jess nodded.   
  
"I'll see you later maybe." he sighed as they stopped at her house and he looked away from her.  
  
"Jess." he turned to face her and was greeted by her lips. It was a short kiss, but it was just as good, if not better, then the one at Sookie's wedding.   
  
"What the hell is going on here!?"  
  
"Dean!" Rory yelled  
  
"Hey Bag Boy." Jess couldn't wipe the smile off of his face.  
  
"Shut up!" he yelled. "Get out of the truck."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Get the hell out of the truck." he repeated louder. "You kissed my girlfriend! Now I have to kick your ass."  
  
"I'm not going to fight you." Jess laughed.  
  
Dean ran over to the other side of the truck, threw the door open and pulled Jess out by the collar, causing him to fall on the ground. "Dean stop it!" Rory screamed grabbing his arm so that he couldn't punch Jess.  
  
"Move out of the way Rory." Dean growled. "He kissed you and now he has to pay."  
  
"Dean!" He pulled more. "Dean he didn't kiss me!"  
  
"Oh come on Rory he kissed you! I saw it with my own eyes. Don't lie for him."  
  
"Dean that's not what I meant."  
  
"What did you mean?"  
  
"I meant that Jess didn't kiss me, because... I kissed him."   
  
"What?" he pulled his arm from her grip. "I can't believe you did this to me Rory. I trusted you." he shook his head and began to walk away.  
  
"I'm sorry Dean." she ran after him.  
  
"DON'T FOLLOW ME!" he screamed, scaring Rory.  
  
"Dean!" she called once more as a tear ran down her cheek. Jess quickly turned her around and wrapped his arm around her. "I didn't want to hurt him."  
  
"I know." he comforted her. "Don't cry." he whispered and let her rest her head on his shoulder.   
  
"Why did I have to fall out of love with him." she asked herself out loud. "He doesn't deserve what I did to him."  
  
Jess pulled back so that he could look into her eyes. "You still want to be with Dean, don't you?" he asked reluctantly afraid of the answer. 


	4. Learning to Live

Rory looked up at Jess with tears in her yes. "No...I don't." She whispered, as she pulled away and turned her back to him. It was hard for her to look at him and say this. "Jess...ever since you showed up here part of me has wanted to be with you and I don't know when, but at some point that part just took over the rest of me." She turned once again, this time to face him. He stood completely still, he was stunned to be hearing the words he had been waiting to here. "I just can't do it like this." Jess' heart broke. "Rory..." "I never thought I would do something like that. I never thought that I could be the kind of person who would cheat on a test...let alone a boyfriend." She cried. "I'm a horrible person and...I don't deserve to be happy." She told him. "I'm sorry." With that, she began to walk away. Jess watched as her figure began to shrink. He ran his hand through he hair as he turned to walk back towards the truck, but suddenly it hit him. If he wanted Rory he would have to fight for her. Jess wasn't one to lay his feelings out ther for everyone to see, but to him Rory was worth it. He couldn't lose her over this, not after he finally knew that she liked him back. "Rory!" He yelled, as he ran after her. "Rory stop." He pleaded as she quickened her pace and entered the town green, where Kirk and Taylor had just began the annual end of summer picnic. The town members stared as Rory began to ran and Jess sped up. "Will you just stop?" He yelled with frustration. "Leave me alone." was all she could manage as Jess grabbed her arm and spun her around to face him. "Just tell me that you don't like me and I'll leave you alone Rory." He told her, staring into her eyes. A tear fell from her eyes as she shook her head, unable to say it. She did like Jess and she couldn't change that. Jess looked deeply into her eyes waiting for her answer, but he didn't get one. "That's what I thought." he whispered in a husky voice before his lips crashed into hers. Inside the diner, Luke and Lorelai sat with their mouths hanging open as Rory and Jess basically declared their attraction to the whole town. "Well...I'd say our plan worked." Lorelai commented with satisfaction. "I'd say so." Luke agreed, as they watched the new couple. "The town is gonna have a hell of a field day with this one." Lorelai laughed as her eyes brighten. "Hey I have an idea." She smirked, turning to face Luke. "Some tells me I dont' wanna know." "What do you say you and I go out there and just start makin out?" She joked. "What?" "Yeah. That's give 'em something to talk about Lukey." She growled and gave him a wink. "You're crazy." He scoffed, as he turned and walked in the back of the diner. "Crazy for you lover lips." She told him in a sweet, southern voice. Let out a laugh she turned with he coffee to watch the Soap opera play out. Outside, Jess pulled back to see what Rory's reaction would be. He smirked as she looked around the crowd of people timidly. "Well, if that wasn't the year's biggest gossip item I dont' know what is." she told him with a slight laugh. "Rory...If you..." "Jess." She stammered. "Just stop talking ok? Because what I'm about to do is completely not me...then again I haven't really been acting like myself lately. And now I'm rambling so you can make it much easier if you just don't say anything." She explained, as Jess nodded with a smirk. Rory looked into his eyes as she wrapped her arms around his neck and slowly moved her lips towards his, allowing them to met in a perfect kiss. He knew it was right. She knew it was right. That was all that mattered.  
  
The End 


End file.
